What is Artificial Intelligence?

Abstract

Imagine you are at home, sitting in an armchair, when you notice that it is uncomfortably hot. You walk over to the central heating control and look at the thermometer. “30°C,” it says. You turn the temperature control knob down a few notches and return to your seat, confident that the temperature will fall. Now consider things from the thermostat’s point of view. It had been set to keep the heating at 30°C, and was busily switching the heaters on or off depending on whether the thermometer registered less than or more than 30°C. After you turn it down a couple of notches, it does exactly the same thing but for some lower temperature.